Alternatives for enhancing the productivity of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon producing reservoirs have included methods which increase the permeability of the formation penetrated by the well. Other methods have been directed to those which increase the oil/water production ratios within the well. Others have been drawn improved methods for inhibiting the formation of undesirable materials in the formation including water borne scales, asphaltenes, salts, paraffins, etc. Some of these methods have involved the development of well treatment chemicals for enhancing productivity.
Attention has further been focused on improving methods of stimulating formations. Since well productivity depends on the ability of a fracture to conduct hydrocarbons from the formation to the wellbore, fracture conductivity has been an important parameter in determining the degree of success of a stimulation operation. The creation and/or mobilization of reservoir “fines” during fracturing and production has been instrumental in reducing fracture conductivity and reducing reservoir permeability due to plugging of pore throats by the fines. While the use of coated particulates, such as proppants, has been successful in minimizing the generation of fines, alternatives have been sought.
Alternatives have also been sought to decrease unnecessary water production during the treatment of subterranean formations. Excessive water production has a direct effect on the productivity of the well. The amount of oil and/or gas that may be ultimately recovered from the well is decreased since the water takes the place of other fluids that may flow or be lifted from the well. This increases the cost of production from the well.
While well treatment agents have been developed for the treatment or control of the deposition of scales, salts, paraffins, and asphaltenes within the well, less than desirable results are often achieved. Alternatives have therefore been sought for improving the overall efficiency of the well by controlling the deposition of such materials. Alternatives have especially been sought for controlling the deposition of such materials in low permeability formations, such as shale and coal.
Resources have also been spent on both chemical and physical techniques for effectively reducing frictional drag created during the flow of hydrocarbons within a hydrocarbon producing reservoir.
Alternatives for reducing friction have focused on drag reduction agents. Typically, friction reduction agents are large polymers with long chains which tend to build non-Newtonian gel structures. Drag reducing gels are shear-sensitive and often require specialized injection equipment (such as pressurized delivery systems). Further, since friction reduction agents are typically highly viscous, usually no more than 10 weight percent of polymeric friction reduction agents are present in the carrier fluid. Some attention has been focused on the use of slurries or dispersions of polymers to form free-flowing and pumpable mixtures in liquid media. However, such polymers often agglomerate over time, thus making it very difficult for them to be placed in hydrocarbon liquids where reduced drag is needed.
Further alternatives for lowering the frictional drag of fluids within a well have been sought in order to enhance the productivity of hydrocarbons from the well.
It should be understood that the above-described discussion is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope or subject matter of the appended claims or those of any related patent application or patent. Thus, none of the appended claims or claims of any related application or patent should be limited by the above discussion or construed to address, include or exclude each or any of the above-cited features or disadvantages merely because of the mention thereof herein.